CoAR Projects in Afghanistan

Coordination of Afghan Relief (CoAR) is an independent, non-governmental and non-political organization, created at the initiative of a group of Afghans in October 1989 to contribute in the rehabilitation process of Afghanistan. Since its establishment, CoAR’s strategy has evolved from providing cross-border, short-term emergency/relief services and rehabilitation projects to long-term development programs which lay emphasis on community involvement and project sustainability and gradual return of refugees.

CoAR provides support to communities through the promotion of agriculture, Water Provision, Environment, Livestock, Rural Engineering, Health, Women Development Program, Education, especially the infrastructure related to agriculture and engineering in more than 30 districts of 13 provinces of Afghanistan (Wardak, Ghazni, Logar, Herat, Mazar-i-Sharif, Bamyan, Saripul, Paktika, Khost, Kandahar, Kapisa, Parwaan and Kabul), implementation of Asset Creation Project, WFP, livelihood and drought mitigation assistance with SC/US, CRS NCA etc.

It has so far implemented about 150 agreements with different donors in the sphere of agriculture, animal husbandry, health, rural engineering, education and etc in Afghanistan for the internally displaced and for Afghan refugees in Pakistan and repatriates to enable them to stand on their own feet.

CoAR has successfully implemented a large number of useful projects in those sectors, while much has to be done to improve the living conditions of the war and drought affected residents of the area where CoAR is carrying development efforts.

During these years, CoAR has gained a rich experience in working with the community and involving its members in the developmental endeavors to their interests. Now CoAR knows well the people’s problems and has obtained the required know-how to identify their problems and to address their difficulties in the most appropriate manner besides empowering them to carry on the task themselves.

CoAR has implemented several community development projects in the provinces and has attained immense experience in this sphere. For example:

• CoAR’s integrated projects — health, agriculture and animal husbandry development projects ? take into consideration the principles of ‘Do No Harm’ and ‘No Conflict’. Also CoAR has implemented projects in different regions.
• Working for and in direct coordination with other actors and donors.
• CoAR respects and highly considers the concept of Do No Harm with others and avoid conflict as a pilot project during the project implementation and taking into consideration the capacity building of the community.
• BPRM project in Heart that is covering shelter, livelihood and cash for work with the CRS financial support for the past three years.
• The MSH project in Karukh-Herat is going on.
• The APEP-accelerated learning project is being implemented in Logar, Ghazni and Saripul covering 10,000 over-age students and 402 village teachers in each of the three provinces in addition to a large number of managing staff.
• Many other projects like school-building in Kandahar, Moqur of Ghazni, road projects in Paktika, water supply in Ghazni etc have been newly implemented with the close cooperation and coordination of NCA, Japan Govt, the government of Afghanistan, CARE, CRS, SC/US, FAO etc.

In the initial days of intervention in the area, CoAR shall carry out a primary survey, in consultation and cooperation with local authority, community and other actors followed by PRA to find out the real requirements.

Based on priorities determined by the community CoAR shall begin efforts for mobilization and community organization. Male and female councils shall be established and these councils will participate in the process of project implementation.

This process entails assisting the community to elect their representative to the community council and will further strengthen village Shura to enable it to design and determine its organization and working plan of projects in accord with the priorities at the village level. We shall support their expertise from technical points of view and prepare technical and administrative documents and refer them to the relevant source.

Following getting the project approval, the staffing, procurement of materials and manpower selection will be facilitated from the area in consultation with the community Shura. Also, sectoral groups will be selected from within the community and CoAR shall continue its technical cooperation to the project end, with the very aim to evolve and develop the community’s knowledge of project-making so they can stand on their own feet, to enable them to complete the project 100%, and to handle the whole process.

A separate account will be opened for the project and they will receive technical and administrative advice in this respect. This way, CoAR will closely cooperate with the community so that they can develop their talents and ensure their full and very active participation at all stages of implementation sustainability.

CoAR is trying its best to further enrich and harmonize its working values with the community and carry on its activities in a democratic, transparent and accountable manner to gain the community’s trust and win their hearts.

We shall appreciate and welcome external monitoring and prepare all possible facilities for them.

CoAR attaches great value in carrying of participatory work with the community, taking note of social values, and tries its best to prevent conflict while carrying its development and relief programs within the community by using the services of the “Local Shura” representing the community where it works. That’s why CoAR’s Rural Development Centers (RDCs) based on its objectives of strategic planning have always exerted efforts to establish firm ties with the community through PRA and Local Shuras. Thus, the target communities have been mobilized to seek their needed priorities in then implementation of the project and take part in project implementation, planning and monitoring of our programs consisting of Integrated Rural Development, independently.

CoAR’s Rural Development Centres (RDCs)

Coordination and execution of activities are organized through CoAR’s Rural Development Centres (RDCs). These centres are established to cover distinct geographical areas.

Overall coordination takes place in the regional centres such as Ghazni (with Ghanzi Coordination Group) and Kabul (with Kabul Regional Support Office).

Sectoral coordination takes place within several frameworks like the Afghan Agricultural Experimental Centre and in close collaboration with other NGOs in the field of health and veterinary activities.

The RDCs have established strategies to assure continuity of activities that are not funded by donor agencies and to make investments that are not covered.

Execution of activities is organized through the “Service Centre”. The Service Centre covers agricultural, horticultural, veterinary, engineering and training activities; services and commodity distribution.

For some of the activities, income is generated by renting out tractors and threshers, distributing fruit tree saplings at subsidized prices, selling animal food at subsidized prices and so on.

The income that is generated is managed in a Credit Agency. The Credit Agency is covering three categories of expenses:

1. Investments made that are not covered by donors e.g. flour mills, water pumps, jeeps, tractors, a saw mill
2. Welfare activities not covered by donors in the field of health and education.
3. Loans to vulnerable groups e.g. poultry distribution to widows.

With the vision of a just and equitable society that embraces the rights of all people to fundamental freedom through participation and contribution in all spheres of social, cultural, economic and political life, CoAR strives to foster a learning environment where all staff members are engaged in a continuous process of positively challenging and supporting one another in constant growth and development.